Sam Koivisto said that his comments had been blown out of proportion and he had planned to retire in five months anyway.

The 57-year-old retired in November while facing an internal investigation into his comments to other officers after the presidential election. He told them that if an order came to kill Obama, he "wouldn't mind being the guy."

When questioned by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office integrity unit, he said he also didn't care if a nuclear explosion killed everyone in the northeastern U.S because they supported Obama. He told the investigators his comments were hyperbole and not actual threats.